WO2015183911A1

WO2015183911A1 - Retractable anti-aquaplaning device for motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: WO2015183911A1
Application number: PCT/US2015/032614
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Prentice
Original assignee: Michael Prentice
Priority date: 2014-05-27
Filing date: 2015-05-27
Publication date: 2015-12-03

Abstract

A retractable anti-aquaplaning device for increasing the traction of a tire of a motor vehicle in travel on a flooded roadway is described. The device includes a water-displacer with a suspension-mounted support system such that the water-displacer, when deployed, reciprocates up and downwardly with the corresponding wheel of the vehicle to follow the roadway. The suspension-mounted support system is adapted to functionally or physically disengage the anti-aquaplaning device from the suspension of the vehicle upon lifting of the anti-aquaplaning device with a separate retraction system.

Description

TITLE

Retractable Anti-aquaplaning Device for Motor Vehicles

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application

62/003,336, filed May 27, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application concerns improvements to motor vehicle control, specifically motor vehicle control on roadways covered in water.

BACKGROUND

Physical contact between the tires of a motor vehicle and the roadway provides the traction needed to control a motor vehicle in travel. When a motor vehicle travels at speed on a roadway flooded in water, the tires of the vehicle may ride up on a layer of water, reducing or eliminating the contact between the tires of the vehicle and the road. This state, known as aquaplaning or hydroplaning, reduces or eliminates traction, which is needed to control a motor vehicle on the roadway, and is potentially very dangerous. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention decreases the likelihood of a motor vehicle aquaplaning on flooded roadways or stops an aquaplaning motor vehicle from aquaplaning by use of a retractable and adaptive water-displacer located in front of at least one wheel of the motor vehicle. When the anti-aquaplaning device is deployed, it engages with the suspension of the vehicle so that the water-displacer moves with the associated wheel to maintain a substantially constant position relative to the road surface. This facilitates the

functioning of the water-displacer.

Some embodiments of a water-displacer in accordance with the present invention may be a wiper, scraper, plow, brush, or other displacer that is designed to physically contact and displace a portion of water in front of a wheel of a motor vehicle in travel. Such a physical water-displacer may directly displace water out of the path of the associated wheel or it may physically disturb, elevate, or aerate a layer of water that is then displaced by a following deflector positioned in front of the associated vehicle wheel. It is intended that such a physical water-displacer be in physical contact with the layer of water when the device is deployed.

Alternatively, other embodiments of water-displacer in accordance with the present invention work by deflecting a stream of air generated by the forward travel of the motor vehicle onto the flooded roadway. This type of water-displacer may be in the form of, for example, an angled panel having any of various shapes designed to catch and deflect a stream of air. Pressure from the deflected air stream serves to displace a portion of the water on the roadway out of the path of the associated wheel, decreasing the likelihood of aquaplaning or stopping the occurrence of aquaplaning. In order to operate effectively, such an air-deflector-type water-displacer should be positioned very close to the road surface. Alternatively, such a water-displacer may provide an air nozzle that directs a stream of higher pressure air onto the roadway. The stream of higher pressure air may be generated by a fan, air compressor, or canister of compressed gas located within the motor vehicle. An anti- aquaplaning device of the present invention may be incorporated as part of a wheel fairing device.

The anti-aquaplaning device of the present invention, when deployed, is engaged with the suspension of the motor vehicle so that the anti-aquaplaning device reciprocates with the associated vehicle wheel. By "reciprocate," I mean that as the vehicle traverses a roadway, the water-displacer moves up and down simultaneously with the wheel such that the water-displacer maintains a more constant position relative to the roadway than maintained by the vehicle body. Thus the anti-aquaplaning device of the present invention may be made to very closely adapt to the roadway, allowing the water-displacer to be particularly effective in displacing water before the associated wheel, thereby decreasing the likelihood of aquaplaning or stopping the occurrence of aquaplaning. An embodiment of anti-aquaplaning device of the present invention is hinged at its base near the base of the suspension control arm (e.g. lower control arm of a double wishbone suspension) of a vehicle. The hinge of the anti-aquaplaning device is located near and parallel to the axis of rotation of the hinge of the suspension control arm. This allows the anti-aquaplaning device to easily and smoothly move in concert with the associated wheel when the anti-aquaplaning device is engaged with the suspension of the vehicle.

The support system for such an anti-aquaplaning device includes a support bracket attached to the associated suspension control arm of the motor vehicle. This support bracket supports an opposing support bracket that is connected to the anti- aquaplaning device. Because the anti-aquaplaning device may move vertically without restriction, this system allows the anti-aquaplaning device to be soft on impact with the roadway or objects thereon.

The anti-aquaplaning device may be retracted and disengaged from the suspension of the vehicle by a retraction actuator. The retraction actuator retracts the anti-aquaplaning device by physically lifting the device from the suspension of the vehicle. When retracted, the anti-aquaplaning device is held in a fixed position relative to the vehicle body and does not reciprocate with the associated wheel. This increases ground clearance and protects the anti-aquaplaning device from damage when not in use. The anti-aquaplaning device may also be fully concealed in its retracted position so that the anti-aquaplaning device does not detract from the visual appearance of the motor vehicle.

The path of motion of the water-displacer as it reciprocates with the associated vehicle wheel and as it is retracted toward the body of the vehicle is determined by a guide arm, or a pair or set of guide arms that extend from the water-displacer to the vehicle body. The guide arm allows the water-displacer to move vertically relative to the vehicle body. Embodiments of the anti-aquaplaning device thus allow a road car or other type of motor vehicle to have an anti-aquaplaning mode with a deployed and reciprocating water- displacer and a conventional mode with a retracted and fixed anti-aquaplaning device that may be completely concealed and protected from damage.

Other advantages and novel features of the present invention are described in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention along with additional embodiments. ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention is an anti-aquaplaning device adapted to reciprocate with a wheel of a motor vehicle, said wheel being connected to the body of said motor vehicle through a suspension system adapted to permit relative vertical displacement between said wheel and said body of said motor vehicle, wherein said suspension system includes a suspension control arm pivotably attached to said body of said motor vehicle by a suspension control arm hinge, said anti-aquaplaning device comprising:

a water-displacer positioned in front of said wheel, said water-displacer being adapted to displace at least a portion of water on a roadway to the sides of the path of said wheel,

a guide arm adapted to determine movement of said water-displacer relative to said body of said motor vehicle, wherein said guide arm does not substantially limit vertical movement of said water-displacer relative to said body of said motor vehicle, a guide arm hinge connected to the base of said guide arm, wherein the axis of rotation of said guide arm hinge is substantially close to and substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said suspension control arm hinge,

a suspension-mounted support for dynamically supporting said water-displacer and said guide arm when said anti-aquaplaning device is engaged with said suspension system, said suspension-mounted support being adapted so that said anti-aquaplaning device reciprocates with said wheel such that said anti-aquaplaning device maintains a more constant distance above a roadway being traversed than maintained by said body of said motor vehicle when said anti-aquaplaning device is engaged with said suspension system, and

an anti-aquaplaning device retractor for elevating and lowering said guide arm and said water-displacer relative to said body of said motor vehicle, wherein elevation of said anti-aquaplaning device to said body of said motor vehicle functionally disengages said anti-aquaplaning device from said suspension system so that said anti-aquaplaning device does not reciprocate with said wheel relative to said body of said motor vehicle, and wherein lowering of said anti-aquaplaning device from said body of said motor vehicle functionally engages said anti-aquaplaning device with said suspension system so that said anti-aquaplaning device reciprocates with said wheel relative to said body of said motor vehicle.

Another aspect of the invention is the anti-aquaplaning device of the first aspect, wherein said anti-aquaplaning device retractor elevates and lowers said anti-aquaplaning device through said guide arm.

Another aspect of the invention is the anti-aquaplaning device of the first aspect, further including a driver-operable retraction switch adapted to be actuated by a driver of said motor vehicle and operatively connected to said anti-aquaplaning device retractor.

Another aspect of the invention is the anti-aquaplaning device of the first aspect, further including a retraction control ECU, wherein said retraction control ECU is adapted to deploy said anti-aquaplaning device when a condition of aquaplaning is detected.

Another aspect of the invention is the anti-aquaplaning device of the first aspect, wherein said water-displacer includes a wiper adapted to physically press against said roadway. Another aspect of the invention is the anti-aquaplaning device of the first aspect, wherein said water-displacer is an air deflector adapted to deflect a stream of air generated by the forward travel of said motor vehicle onto said roadway in front of said wheel to displace at least a portion of water on said roadway to the sides of the path of said wheel.

Another aspect of the invention is the anti-aquaplaning device of the first aspect, further including an air stream generator, wherein said water-displacer includes an air nozzle adapted to spray a stream of air generated by said air stream generator onto said roadway in front of said wheel to displace at least a portion of water on said roadway to the sides of the path of said wheel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following discussion of the figures, any particular label that does not appear in a particular figure of immediate discussion is nevertheless present elsewhere in the figures. Accordingly, the figures should be considered as a whole.

Fig. 1 is an anterior three-quarter view of an embodiment of an anti-aquaplaning device 100 in deployed position.

Fig. 2 is an anterior three-quarter view of the support brackets of the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1 in retracted, disengaged position.

Fig. 3 is an anterior three-quarter view of an alternative embodiment of an anti- aquaplaning device 200 in deployed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

Reference Numerals

100 Anti-aquaplaning device

101 Water-displacer

102 Upper support bracket

103 Lower support bracket

104 Guide arm

105 Wiper

106 Guide arm hinge 110 Retraction actuator

111 Retraction lever

112 Guide lever

117 Wheel

118 Vehicle body

119 Suspension control arm

120 Upper control arm

122 Retraction switch

125 Retraction control ECU

129 Coaxial torsion spring

130 Upper control arm hinge

131 Suspension control arm hinge

133 Retraction lever bearing

190 Water-displacer retractor

200 Anti-aquaplaning device

201 Aerodynamic water-displacer

202 Upper support bracket

203 Lower support bracket

204 Aerodynamic guide arm

206 Aerodynamic guide arm hinge

210 Retraction actuator

211 Retraction lever

212 Guide lever

222 Retraction switch

225 Retraction control ECU

229 Coaxial torsion spring

233 Retraction lever bearing

290 Water-displacer retractor Figs. 1-2. A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a water-displacer 101 (Fig. 1) in front of a wheel 117 of a motor vehicle. The water-displacer 101 is adapted to displace water before the wheel 117 that is connected to the vehicle body 118 through a suspension system including, in this embodiment, a suspension control arm 119 and upper control arm 120. The upper control arm 120 is pivotably attached to the vehicle body 118 through the upper control arm hinge 130, and the suspension control arm 119 is pivotably attached to the vehicle body 118 through the suspension control arm hinge 131.

One skilled in this technology will understand that some conventional suspension components of the vehicle, including springs, dampers, suspension upright, toe links, steering arms, and driveshafts, are present but not shown, for clarity of depiction. The depicted embodiment is suitable for a vehicle with double wishbone suspension system, but it is in accordance with the present invention to mount a device of the present invention to vehicles fitted with other types of suspension systems that include a suspension control arm, including, for example, McPhers on/Chapman strut suspension systems.

The anti-aquaplaning device 100 may be fit to steered and/or non-steered wheels. When the anti-aquaplaning device 100 is fitted to a steered wheel, the anti-aquaplaning device 100 is, of course, configured to accommodate the range of steering motion of the steered wheel.

Throughout this disclosure, the device of the present invention is shown fitted to a left wheel of a motor vehicle, but it is to be understood that the device would also be fitted to the opposite wheel. Optionally the device may be fitted to all wheels of a four- wheeled vehicle. Such a device may also be fitted to the wheels of vehicles with more than four wheels, including trucks, and to vehicles with closely mounted, paired wheels.

For purposes of this disclosure, the vehicle body 118 includes all of the fully- sprung components of the vehicle that are isolated from the movements of the vehicle wheels and end of the suspension by the shock-damping system of the vehicle's suspension system. This includes the chassis of a vehicle. Unsprung components of a motor vehicle include the wheels and parts of the suspension system that closely and permanently reciprocate with the wheels. For purposes of this disclosure, "suspension system" refers to those components of the vehicle that connect a wheel 117 to the fully- sprung vehicle body 118 and that permit relative vertical displacement of a wheel 117 relative to the vehicle body 118.

Fig. 1 is an anterior three-quarter view of a first embodiment of the anti- aquaplaning device 100 in deployed position. Fig. 2 shows a close up of the disengaged support brackets when the anti-aquaplaning device 100 is retracted.

As shown in Fig. 1, the water-displacer 101 is connected to the vehicle body 118 by a guide arm 104. The guide arm 104 may be constructed of any sufficiently rigid, preferably light material, such as CF (carbon fiber) composite, glass reinforced plastic, or aluminum.

The guide arm 104 is pivotably attached to the vehicle body 118 through a guide arm hinge 106 that is situated, in this embodiment, immediately in front of the suspension control arm hinge 131 and parallel to the axis of rotation of the suspension control arm hinge 131. Any of a variety of shapes of guide arm 104 may be used in accordance with the present invention. Alternatively, the guide arm hinge 106 may be pivotably attached to the base of the suspension of the vehicle or to a combination of the base of the suspension of the vehicle and the vehicle body 118. The guide arm 104 is attached at its distal end to the water-displacer 101.

Alternatively, two guide arms may be used instead of one, one above the other, both pivotably attached to the water-displacer 101. This arrangement allows the orientation of the water-displacer 101 to be maintained and controlled throughout its range of motion.

The anti-aquaplaning device 100 as depicted is an assembly comprising all of the structures of the device of the present invention, including the water-displacer 101, guide arm 104, guide arm hinge 106, upper support bracket 102, lower support bracket 103, and water-displacer retractor 190.

The anti-aquaplaning device 100 is supported upon the suspension control arm 119 by an upper support bracket 102 connected to the guide arm hinge 106 that presses upon a lower support bracket 103 mounted near the front base of the suspension control arm 119 of the suspension. The upper support bracket 102 may, alternatively, be directly mounted to the guide arm 104. The upper support bracket 102 and lower support bracket 103 may, in alternative embodiments, be situated at other positions on the anti-aquaplaning device 100 and vehicle suspension, provided the water-displacer 101 is made to reciprocate sufficiently well with the wheel 117 during vehicle travel. The support brackets 102, 103 may be omitted from other alternative

embodiments, provided that a part of the suspension control arm 119 supports at least some part of the anti-aquaplaning device 100 when the water-displacer 101 is deployed. Depending upon the relative positions of the guide arm 104 and suspension control arm 119 in certain embodiments, the opposing surfaces of the upper support bracket 102 and lower support bracket 103 may need to be able to slide against one another. In that event, it would therefore be useful to have these opposing surfaces rounded and smooth. The interface between the upper support bracket 102 and lower support bracket 103 may also be lubricated to assist sliding between these two components. Resuming discussion of the first-discussed embodiment, the guide arm 104 is connected at its base with the guide lever 112 (Fig. 1). The guide lever 112 is rotated by the retraction lever 111 that is fitted with the retraction lever bearing 133 at its apex. The retraction lever 111 is connected to and rotated by the retraction actuator 110 that is situated in the vehicle body 118. The retraction actuator 110 may be operated by the driver of the vehicle through a driver-operable retraction switch 122. Alternatively or additionally, automatic control means responsive to sensor means may be used to actuate the retraction actuator 110. The retraction actuator 110 rotates the retraction lever 111 downward until the retraction lever bearing 133 engages with the guide lever 112, causing the guide lever 112 to be rotated downward, thus rotating the guide arm 104 upward. The upward rotation of the guide arm 104 simultaneously lifts the water- displacer 101 and disengages the device from the suspension so that the water-displacer 101 does not reciprocate with the vehicle wheel 117 when the anti-aquaplaning device 100 is retracted.

The retraction actuator 110 may be electric or of other type. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide lever 112, retraction lever 111, retraction lever bearing 133, and retraction actuator 110 comprise an exemplary "water-displacer retractor" 190. This is just one example of a water-displacer retractor. Other embodiments of the water- displacer retractor 190 are contemplated and may be used instead, including, for example, a retraction actuator connected to the anti-aquaplaning device 100 through a cable. A spring may also serve for retraction. A single retraction actuator may also control two or more anti-aquaplaning devices on the motor vehicle. This may be through the use of cabling, for example, or a hydraulic system.

When not engaged with the retraction actuator 110, the guide arm 104 is rotated downward at its base by a coaxial torsion spring 129. The coaxial torsion spring 129 provides a downward force that keeps the anti-aquaplaning device in contact with the suspension of the vehicle and the water-displacer 101 in contact with the roadway. Other arrangements of spring or other means may be provided to rotate the guide arm 104 downward and thus move the water-displacer 101 into its deployed position and pressed against the suspension of the vehicle. An aerodynamic structure or structures may also serve to help deploy the anti-aquaplaning device and help keep the anti-aquaplaning device 100 in fully deployed position. The retraction actuator 110 may also be adapted to provide a downward force. The water-displacer 101 is formed into or connected with a wiper 105 at its lower surface. This wiper 105 is designed to press against the roadway and to displace water when the device is deployed on a flooded roadway. It may be constructed of a sufficiently abrasion resistant material, including some plastics (e.g. POM

[polyoxymethylene]), rubber, glass reinforced plastic, or other materials. The wiper 105 may be angled to the direction of travel so that it displaces water to the side and out of the path of the associated vehicle wheel 117. Alternative wiper 105 embodiments may be used instead, including wipers that are formed of appropriately shaped brushes. The water-displacer 101 may be constructed of plastic, glass reinforced plastic, CF (carbon fiber), aluminum, or other appropriate material or combinations of materials that are preferably both light and strong. The water-displacer 101 and wiper 105 may be one continuous structure.

Operation.

In its deployed position, as shown in Fig. 1, the water-displacer 101 is supported by the physical contact between the upper support bracket 102 and the lower support bracket 103. In this way, the water-displacer 101 in its deployed position maintains a substantially constant positional relationship with respect to the roadway, regardless of changes in height and orientation of the vehicle body 118 above the roadway that occur during vehicle travel. Throughout this disclosure, when the anti-aquaplaning device 100 is supported by the suspension of the vehicle to reciprocate with the associated wheel, the anti-aquaplaning device 100 is described as "engaged" with the suspension. When the anti-aquaplaning device 100 is retracted and not supported by the suspension of the vehicle, the anti-aquaplaning device 100 is described as "disengaged" from the suspension. The water-displacer 101 is retracted by activation of the retraction actuator 110.

When activated, the retraction actuator 110 rotates the retraction lever 111 downward which rotates the guide lever 112 downward. This rotates the guide arm 104 upward which causes the water-displacer 101 to move upward, away from the roadway and toward the vehicle body 118 where the water-displacer 101 may securely rest against the vehicle body 118. When in the retracted position, the anti-aquaplaning device 100 is disengaged from the suspension and no longer moves with the suspension. Instead, in the retracted position it is fixed against the lower surface of the car body 118. The anti- aquaplaning device 100 may be held in its retracted position by a remotely operated latch or spring or other means, including an electromagnet, or by an upward force imparted by the retraction actuator 110.

Deployment of the water-displacer 101 is accomplished by reversing the retraction actuator 110, thereby rotating the retraction lever 111 upward and thus rotating the guide lever 112 upward. This causes the guide arm 104 to rotate downward and thus to move the water-displacer 101 toward the roadway. The retraction actuator 110 rotates far enough so that the retraction lever bearing 133 disengages with the guide lever 112 so that the vertical movements of the water-displacer 101 are unconstrained when the anti- aquaplaning device 100 is deployed. Deployment of the anti-aquaplaning device 100 is facilitated by the force of gravity and by the downward torque on the guide arm 104 imparted by the coaxial torsion spring 129 at its base. Other types of spring or means may be used for this purpose. As a result of this downward movement, the guide arm 104 comes to be supported on the suspension control arm 119 through contact between the upper support bracket 102 and lower support bracket 103. This functionally engages the anti-aquaplaning device 100 with the suspension system so that the water-displacer 101 reciprocates with the vehicle wheel 117. At the same time, the wiper 105 is pressed against the roadway by the force of the coaxial torsion spring 129 and gravity. This downward, deploying force should be strong enough to keep both the anti-aquaplaning device 100 engaged with the vehicle's suspension and the wiper 105 pressed against the roadway. To accomplish this, the guide arm 104 or other part of the anti-aquaplaning device (e.g. a movable mount for the wiper 105 on the water-displacer 101) should be capable of an appropriate amount of flexure. Such flexure may keep the wiper 105, when the anti-aquaplaning device 100 is deployed, pressed against the roadway within a designed force range. At any given moment, the downward force on the wiper 105 depends, in part, on the exact contour of the roadway between the associated vehicle wheel 117 and the wiper 105. By having the anti-aquaplaning device automatically reciprocate with the vehicle wheel 117, this force range is maintained within a minimized range. Other means to accommodate these small changes in vertical position of the wiper 105 against the roadway, such as through spring mountings, are also contemplated.

The water-displacer retractor 190 may be operated through use of a driver- operable retraction switch 122. Alternatively or additionally, a retraction control ECU (electronic control unit) 125 may be provided to actuate the water-displacer retractor 190 automatically based upon input from a sensor system (not shown) adapted to detect a condition of aquaplaning or the likelihood that aquaplaning may occur. Additional embodiment - Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is an anterior three-quarter view of an additional embodiment of an anti- aquaplaning device 200 in accordance with the present invention, in deployed position.

This additional embodiment is structurally and operationally the same as the first embodiment described above, with some exceptions. These exceptions arise from the facts that the water-displacer 201 is an aerodynamic water-displacer, adapted to deflect a stream of air onto the roadway and that the aerodynamic water-displacer 201 is not intended to contact the roadway when the anti-aquaplaning device 200 is deployed. The stream of air is generated by the forward travel of the motor vehicle. The principal advantage of this embodiment is that there is no direct physical contact between the aerodynamic water-displacer 201 and the roadway, when deployed. The principal disadvantage is that the aerodynamic water-displacer 201 is not generally as effective in displacing water as a water-displacer that physically contacts and displaces water. The aerodynamic water-displacer 201 is in the form of an angled panel whose rear end is located below the more forward portion of the aerodynamic water-displacer 201. This form directs a stream of air generated by the forward travel of the motor vehicle down onto the roadway in front of the associated wheel 117. This air stream serves to deflect at least a portion of the water before the wheel 117, decreasing the likelihood of aquaplaning or stopping a condition of aquaplaning. Other shapes of such aerodynamic water-displacer 201 may be used to deflect a stream of higher pressure air onto the roadway, including shapes that also serve to streamline the flow of air around the associated wheel 117.

The upward aerodynamic force generated by the aerodynamic water-displacer 201 is countered both by the coaxial torsion spring 229 and by a downward force imparted by the aerodynamic guide arm 204 that is shaped to generate a downwardly-directed aerodynamic force.

As in the first embodiment described above, the aerodynamic guide arm hinge 206 bears an upper support bracket 202 that is designed to oppose a lower support bracket 203 mounted to the front base of the suspension control arm 119 when the anti- aquaplaning device 200 is deployed.

The anti-aquaplaning retractor 290 of this additional embodiment is the same as that described for the first embodiment and includes a retraction actuator 210 operable by a driver- operated retraction switch 222 and/or retraction control ECU 225, retraction lever 211, retraction lever bearing 233, and guide lever 212. The anti-aquaplaning device 200 also includes a coaxial torsion spring 229 that helps to keep the anti-aquaplaning device 200 fully deployed and pressed against the suspension control arm 119 when the anti-aquaplaning device 200 is deployed. The aerodynamic water-displacer 201 is not designed to press against the roadway when the anti-aquaplaning device is deployed, but rather to closely follow the roadway as the vehicle travels.

Claims

1. An anti- aquaplaning device adapted to reciprocate with a wheel of a motor vehicle, said wheel being connected to the body of said motor vehicle through a suspension system adapted to permit relative vertical displacement between said wheel and said body of said motor vehicle, wherein said suspension system includes a suspension control arm pivotably attached to said body of said motor vehicle by a suspension control arm hinge, said anti-aquaplaning device comprising:

a. a water-displacer positioned in front of said wheel, said water-displacer being adapted to displace at least a portion of water on a roadway to the sides of the path of said wheel,

b. a guide arm adapted to determine movement of said water-displacer relative to said body of said motor vehicle, wherein said guide arm does not substantially limit vertical movement of said water-displacer relative to said body of said motor vehicle, c. a guide arm hinge connected at one end to the base of said guide arm and at the other end to at least one of the following: said body and said suspension system, wherein the axis of rotation of said guide arm hinge is substantially close to and substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said suspension control arm hinge, d. a suspension-mounted support for dynamically supporting said water-displacer and said guide arm when said anti-aquaplaning device is engaged with said suspension system, said suspension-mounted support being adapted so that said anti- aquaplaning device reciprocates with said wheel such that said anti-aquaplaning device maintains a more constant distance above a roadway being traversed than maintained by said body of said motor vehicle when said anti-aquaplaning device is engaged with said suspension system, and

e. an anti-aquaplaning device retractor for elevating and lowering said guide arm and said water-displacer relative to said body of said motor vehicle, wherein elevation of said anti-aquaplaning device to said body of said motor vehicle functionally disengages said anti-aquaplaning device from said suspension system so that said anti-aquaplaning device does not reciprocate with said wheel relative to said body of said motor vehicle, and wherein lowering of said anti-aquaplaning device from said body of said motor vehicle functionally engages said anti-aquaplaning device with said suspension system so that said anti-aquaplaning device reciprocates with said wheel relative to said body of said motor vehicle.

2. The anti-aquaplaning device of claim 1, wherein said anti-aquaplaning device retractor elevates and lowers said anti-aquaplaning device through said guide arm.

3. The anti-aquaplaning device of claim 1, further including a driver- operable retraction switch adapted to be actuated by a driver of said motor vehicle and operatively connected to said anti-aquaplaning device retractor.

4. The anti-aquaplaning device of claim 1, further including a retraction control ECU, wherein said retraction control ECU is adapted to deploy said anti-aquaplaning device when a condition of aquaplaning is detected.

5. The anti-aquaplaning device of claim 1, wherein said water-displacer includes a wiper adapted to physically press against said roadway.

6. The anti-aquaplaning device of claim 1, wherein said water-displacer is an air deflector adapted to deflect a stream of air generated by the forward travel of said motor vehicle onto said roadway in front of said wheel to displace at least a portion of water on said roadway to the sides of the path of said wheel.

7. The anti-aquaplaning device of claim 1, further including an air stream generator, wherein said water-displacer includes an air nozzle adapted to spray a stream of air generated by said air stream generator onto said roadway in front of said wheel to displace at least a portion of water on said roadway to the sides of the path of said wheel.

8. The anti-aquaplaning device of claim 1, wherein said guide arm hinge is connected at one end to said guide arm and at the other end to said body.

9. The anti-aquaplaning device of claim 1, wherein said guide arm hinge is connected at one end to said guide arm and at the other end to said suspension system.

10. The anti-aquaplaning device of claim 1, wherein said guide arm hinge is connected at one end to said guide arm and at the other end to said suspension system and said body.